La Fouly
Origin of the name La Fouly
The name La Fouly remains unexplained. An excursion account of 1901 already places « la Fouly » at 1'593 m, opposite the Neuva chalets.[1]
Founding of La Fouly
La Fouly is a village of the municipality of Orsières in the Val Ferret, at about 1'600 m and some 13 km from Orsières, at the foot of the Tour Noir and Mont Dolent. It began as a meadow where herders stopped during the transhumance, with stone houses and wooden barns. Tourism starts here in 1925 with the Grand Hôtel du Val Ferret. The first two ski lifts date from 1965, and lifts and chalets alike multiply from the 1960s onwards.[2][5][6]
History of La Fouly
1901. An excursion account of the Val Ferret mentions « la Fouly », at 1'593 m, opposite the Neuva chalets.[1]
1925. Construction of the Grand Hôtel du Val Ferret, start of tourism at La Fouly.[2][5]
1941-1942. Construction of the Saint-Nicolas-de-Flüe chapel by architect Charles Zimmermann.[3][4]
1965. The Städeli company builds the Barfay and Combe Verte ski lifts, the resort's first two.[6]
1970. The Arpalles ski lift extends the ski area above 2'100 m.[6]
1989. The Petite Combe ski lift replaces the Combe Verte lift.[6]
1994. The Arpalle I chairlift, built by Leitner, replaces the Barfay lift and the lower part of the Arpalles lift.[6]
2015. A new ski lift, Arpalle II, replaces the old upper section of the Arpalles on a shifted line.[6]
Historic sites in La Fouly
Saint-Nicolas-de-Flüe chapel. Chapel built in 1941-1942 by architect Charles Zimmermann. Renovated without changing the whole (windows redone, wooden ceiling restored, altar and pews replaced, new lighting), it keeps the wooden Christ and the statues of the Virgin and Child and of Saint Nicholas of Flüe present from the start, as well as a panel by J. J. Tornay showing the saint at the Diet of Stans.[3][4]
Grand Hôtel du Val Ferret. Hotel built in 1925, the first milestone of tourism at La Fouly.[2][5]
Mont Dolent and A Neuve glacier. The village faces the Tour Noir and Mont Dolent, with the A Neuve glacier. Rising to 3'833 m, Mont Dolent marks the meeting point of Switzerland, France and Italy.[1][5]
Sources
- H. Correvon, « Le val Ferrex suisse », Die Alpen (annuaire du Club alpin suisse), 1901
- Pays du Saint-Bernard (office du tourisme), « Our history »
- Pays du Saint-Bernard (office du tourisme), « Chapels of Val Ferret »
- Paroisses de l'Entremont, « Chapelle de la Fouly »
- Herman Kok, ferret-c.com, « La Fouly » (site privé)
- remontees-mecaniques.net, « La Fouly » (historique de la station)
- Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS), STATPOP, chiffres provisoires au 31.12.2025, via citypopulation.de
- geo.admin.ch, recherche de lieux (coordonnées)
Other villages near La Fouly
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